Notification for Account Locks

[Vellos]

Is there any chance that the ruler of a realm could get a notification when an account is locked in their realm?

I just noticed today that two accounts in Terran have been locked; presumably just recently. I don't know why (though I'm assuming multi-ing based on account similarities). It occurred to me that it would be nice for the ruler to be notified when the locks are made, in case players in the realm have questions.

[Shizzle]

How do you know they were locked - as opposed to players simply leaving?

[Anaris]

How do you know they were locked - as opposed to players simply leaving?

Because rather than the characters leaving, or simply going inactive, they cease responding to everything and there's a notice on their family page saying, "This account has been locked by the GameMasters."

[Vellos]

there's a notice on their family page saying, "This account has been locked by the GameMasters."

Mostly this.

[Shizzle]

Thanks :)

I do think Rulers should get a notice, though. Especially if the information is already out in public anyways.

[Indirik]

For permanent locks, this may be a good idea. But not for one day or three day locks.

If the lock was placed because of something that was done in your realm, then you'd get a notice from the Titans when the account was locked. If not, then the reason for the lock was really none of your business. If you're letting the other player play at his own pace, you would almost certainly never notice a one-day lock, and there's a good chance even a 3-day lock would go unnoticed. So IMO those don't really deserve any kind of special notice.

[Chenier]

For permanent locks, this may be a good idea. But not for one day or three day locks.

If the lock was placed because of something that was done in your realm, then you'd get a notice from the Titans when the account was locked. If not, then the reason for the lock was really none of your business. If you're letting the other player play at his own pace, you would almost certainly never notice a one-day lock, and there's a good chance even a 3-day lock would go unnoticed. So IMO those don't really deserve any kind of special notice.

General/marshal getting locked for 3 days, or ruler during crucial negotiations do have a noticeable absence.

[Indirik]

While I can't deny that, I also can't help but think that informing everyone that someone had their account locked just ...  feels wrong.

[Anaris]

While I can't deny that, I also can't help but think that informing everyone that someone had their account locked just ...  feels wrong.

Not doing so lends itself to rumours and, in some cases, exactly the kind of anti-Titan sentiment that we really want to avoid.

[Chenier]

While I can't deny that, I also can't help but think that informing everyone that someone had their account locked just ...  feels wrong.

The ruler only isn't "everyone". Mind you, if it's the ruler that's locked, then I don't really see any solution for that, but in all other cases, ruler knowing might help.

[Indirik]

The ruler only isn't "everyone".

Who then probably C/Ps it to the realm, if not immediately then as soon as someone asks what's going on, so that the realm knows. So sending it to the ruler is essentially sending it to the realm.

Not doing so lends itself to rumours and, in some cases, exactly the kind of anti-Titan sentiment that we really want to avoid.

With people that are predisposed to accusations of Titan-favoritism, is it really going to sway their opinions if they know that the account was locked because of something in some other realm? Or is it just as likely that they will accuse the Titans of being abusive about some other case?

[Shizzle]

Well, I think a Ruler has somewhat of a policing function as well. If someone crossed a line, it is partly because the ruler/some other senior player didn't notice it and stepped in, in time. Though that doesn't count for multihacking, or OOC clanning, of course.

I agree that making someone's sentence public might be too much of a punishment in many cases, but in some, it could be an advantage to let the Ruler know. But that's the Titans' call.

[Geronus]

1 to 3 day locks are issued only by Magistrates or Titans for violations of the IRs or the Social Contract, and in that case will often be accompanied by a public realm wide message explaining why. I they aren't, I assume there will be a reason it was kept private. However, in the event of permanent locks I see no reason not to notify the ruler, potentially even with the reason, i.e. multi-accounting.

[Vellos]

While I can't deny that, I also can't help but think that informing everyone that someone had their account locked just ...  feels wrong.

It's the ruler, not everyone. Maybe he would send it to everyone.

Let's be clear: two accounts with similar realm lists locked at once. I'm assuming multis. That's what everyone is assuming. These were prominent knights and lords in Terran; I normally have a good "nose" for multis. Apparently not these ones.

If it wasn't multis, I want to know. I just don't see the issue with a notification for rulers if one of the players in their realm is locked, for any amount of time. The rumor mill happens one way or another. Real information seems more likely to mitigate it rather than feed it.

[Indirik]

1 to 3 day locks are issued only by Magistrates or Titans for violations of the IRs or the Social Contract, and in that case will often be accompanied by a public realm wide message explaining why.

When accounts are locked, the realm in which the report was filed will get a message stating that the account was locked, and why. If your realm didn't get a notice that the account was locked, then there are a few ways this could have happened:

• Most likely, the offense was not reported in your realm, so your realm didn't get the notice.
• Tom could have locked the account without a Titan's/Magistrate's report for whatever reason.
• It was an offense that deserved a permanent lock, which requires Tom's personal action, and he apparently did not feel it was worth explaining.

If it was a permanent lock, I don't really see a problem with sending a notification. I worry that it might cause people to take actions based on that OOC information, though, which has always been very strongly discouraged. i.e. banning the character, kicking him out of his estate, protesting him out of office, etc. The standard rule ha always been to just play on, and let the game take care of position removal, etc. And there are cases where accounts have been restored.

I don't have a strong conviction that the notification would be bad, just a vague feeling that for short term locks, it's really none of your business why the account was locked. If it was, then you'd already know that it was locked, and why.

But if Tom does go ahead and approve this, then it's one step toward full disclosure of Titan's cases, which has been something that he has always opposed. Then again, it should be noted that if Tom approves the Magistrates system for all islands, then it will probably handle most cases, in which case it's all public anyway, and then I really have no objections to it at all.